Grizzlies vs. Lakers Preview
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The Grizzlies and Lakers meet on Tuesday night for the first of two games between the teams in less than a week, as Memphis will be in Los Angeles Sunday night. Here are a few storylines to watch in the game.
Keep an eye on this Kobe guy
The last time the Lakers were in FedExForum, Kobe Bryant hung 60 points on the Grizzlies last March, but Los Angeles needed every one of those points as they squeaked out a two-point victory in that game. Bryant’s 60 points was the most by an opposing player against the Grizzlies in franchise history, and the latest in a long line of Grizzly slayings by the Lakers star.
Six times in franchise history an opposing player has scored 45 or more points against the Grizzlies, and on four of those occasions it was Bryant doing the deed. It’s probably little consolation to the Grizzlies that Bryant has been off in recent games, as over his last three appearances he’s shooting 34.5% from the field and 20.0% from three-point range en route to 21.0 points per game over the last three, a number that amounts to a slump for a player who scored over 30 points per game in each of the last two seasons. All it means is that he’s due for a breakout game. What will be interesting will be to see the different looks Grizzlies head coach Marc Iavaroni throws at Bryant to keep him from having it Tuesday.
The new "Big Three"
Grizzlies head coach Marc Iavaroni referred to the trio of Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol and Mike Miller as the team’s own version of the “Big Three” after Sunday’s win over the Miami Heat. Gay, Gasol and Miller combined for 75 points, 28 rebounds and 11 assists against Miami, and their play mitigated another difficult outing for the Grizzlies’ bench, who went 2-12 from the field and 0-8 from three-point range en route to seven points.
It mirrored the team’s win last week in Indiana when Gay, Gasol and Miller had 73 points, topping Indiana’s 72 total points. It’s clear the trio has clicked with rookie point guard Michael Conley, who’s started the last three games. Since Conley has joined the starting lineup, Gasol’s averaged 23.3 points per game, Gay’s averaged 22.3 points and Miller’s added 20.0.
It’s unlikely any of the Grizzlies can match Kobe Bryant alone, so Memphis’ version of the “Big Three” will again be looking for 70+ points Tuesday night.
Laker D
Last season the Los Angeles Lakers finished 42-40 and squeaked into the playoffs before bowing out in five games to the Phoenix Suns. This season they’re 21-11, and are only 1.5 games behind the Suns in the Pacific Division. What’s more, barring an injury to Bryant, they show no signs of fading too far behind Phoenix in the division.
Everyone knows the Lakers have a prolific offense led by Bryant, but the biggest difference this season is a much-improved defense. Last season Los Angeles ranked 18th in the league in both opponents’ field goal (46.1%) and three-point percentages (35.8%). This season they’ve improved significantly in both areas, ranking fourth in opponents’ field goal percentage (43.9%) and fifth in opponents’ three-point field goal percentage (33.1%).
It’s no surprise then that the Lakers’ scoring differential has gone from an almost even -0.1 last season (hence the 42-40 record) to a much-improved +5.78 this season, a number that ranks fourth in the league. With Los Angeles now playing well on both ends of the court, it adds an even higher degree of difficulty for their opponents.
Tuesday, January 8 is also Elvis Night at FedExForum, commemorating the birthday of Elvis.
